


hunger pangs

by Radio Rascal (Vagrants)



Category: The Transformers (Cartoon Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Decepticons being Decepticons, Gen, Headcanon, Post-Finale, autobots being good
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:08:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29372106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vagrants/pseuds/Radio%20Rascal
Summary: Another day, another raid on the Autobots' energon stores. They seemed to be getting more moronic with each passing day--it was so much easier to steal fuel ever since Optimus Prime came back.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 33





	hunger pangs

Nowadays, Decepticons ran on fumes more often than not. Even Galvatron could scarcely remember what it felt like to have a full tank—it was on Thrull, and it was only because Cyclonus had drained everyone else to near-death in order to revive him from his comatose state. Since then, he’d grown familiar with hunger and all its associated ails, from pain to mental fog to rage.

Galvatron didn’t need help feeling rage, but the motivation was useful at the moment as he bounded over a notch in the landscape and fired upon the Autobots.

They scattered to dodge him and he landed where they’d stood. Some loser’s blaster fire missed his foot by a mile and he turned on them, snarling, but they had already ducked into a bush. He loosed some fire in that direction anyway, then turned his attention to the day’s prize.

Right on the edge of Autobot City, the Autobots had stupidly left a palette of energon cubes exposed and vulnerable in the open. This close to essential fuel, Galvatron could no longer contain himself, so he started grabbing as many as he could carry in one arm. His cannon arm was left free, of course, though there were no enemies in sight.

“Hurry!” he yelled. “While they’re distracted! Cyclonus, Soundwave—grab what you can!”

Everyone attacked the palette. Cyclonus was able to collect a lot of cubes, thanks to his longer arms. By the time more Autobots came running down the hill, the palette was nearly empty; Galvatron supposed they had enough, so he called for a retreat. Food was the priority today, not battle. They could come back and wreck the bots’ day after they were sated.

The Decepticons took the air. Galvatron glanced down at the Autobots, laughing triumphantly. Some chased them with blaster fire, but it did nothing worse besides clip his foot or his iron sight, and nobody was pursuing them.

“Fools! We won today! Accept your defeat and don’t be so  _ stupid _ next time.”

“They practically gave this to us,” Scourge said.

Soundwave made a thoughtful noise.

“Land there,” Galvatron said, pointing to a clearing in a forest a decent distance from the City. They descended below the canopies, touched ground, and the three Unicronians let the energon cubes fall gracelessly to the ground. Only Soundwave was careful about how he stacked his fuel.

Galvatron grabbed a cube and downed it without thinking or pacing himself. He drank so quickly it made him cramp, but the relief from having fuel in his tanks again outweighed the pain.

After the initial feeding frenzy had passed, the four of them sat on the ground, still taking in fuel but doing so far more slowly. “The Autobots were quite lacking today,” Cyclonus said.

“They’re losing their touch,” Galvatron replied. “They must be slacking off.”

“Autobots never slacked before,” Soundwave said.

“Ha. So then what do you think is happening?”

“They gave us this energon.”

“Nonsense!” Galvatron barked. “Autobots would not help Decepticons. We earned this through combat!”

Soundwave shrugged and counted out the cubes he would need for his cassettes. Galvatron had another cube, then prepared to call Astrotrain to haul their spoils home.

* * *

“Hey, Optimus?” Rodimus asked as he walked up. “Why did we give that energon to the Decepticons?”

Optimus was standing with the guards, making sure none of them had been hurt. “Because, Decepticon or not, they’re still Cybertronians.”

“Okay...why did we do it like this though?”

“Because,” Optimus sighed, “Galvatron would not accept help in any other way. He has to be tricked. If we just tried to hand him energon, he’d think it was a trap.”

“Hmm…”

“Didn’t you see them, Rodimus? Didn’t you see how weak they were? Galvatron could barely lift his cannon. Even Soundwave was dragging his feet.” Optimus shook his head. “One day I hope we don’t have to do this.”

Rodimus put a hand on his hip. “I don’t know if that’ll ever happen.”

“Maybe it will, maybe it won’t. Either way, we must do what we can. People cannot change unless you’re kind to them.” For the Decepticons, Optimus had to hope these simple, thankless acts of kindness would be enough, in time.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading
> 
> Optimus eventually adopts the Unicronians. this is canon. idk what Heads Master is but i'm definitely right about this


End file.
